In Space, Love Is Different
by OnnaMurcielago666
Summary: Kise was happy for them; Kagami and Kuroko deserved their happiness. He had want for nothing, as his careers paid exceptionally well, and his home was lavish- bordering on extravagant. He was still kind, showering his ex-teammates in gifts and praise. That was Kise- happy, healthy, generous Kise. Which is why, when things turned sour, Kuroko turned to him first. (Man preg/aliens)
1. Prologue

**Chapter One – 1,047**

**~Prologue~**

Everyone grows up. Everything grows, or ages, or changes over time. However, feelings remain, no matter how insignificant, and the feelings are what matter the most in this world. And in the worlds beyond ours, because there are indeed other worlds. You just need to know where to look to find a trace of them.

When you're young, you don't think about these things. You think about the upcoming basketball game or the practice after school, or even the cute someone who caught your eye and winked during math; when Kise was young, that someone was Kuroko -a teammate, but still!- and Kise was the one winking. They braved middle school and tournaments together, winning over and over again until winning stopped being enough for them, and then middle school was over. Kise and the Generation of Miracles left Teiko behind, soaring ever-onward, but somewhere in the discussions of high schools and the best places for them Kuroko disappeared.

And then he was registered, refusing to give the school name or location.

And then he was gone; Kise thought forever.

Days of listless photo shoots filled Kise's school-less days until his mail revealed a plain white envelope without a return address, addressed to him in tidy blue ink. Kuroko's signature style! It practically opened itself in his excited hands, his uncontrollable glee hindering the make-up artists, and a small piece of card fell out into his lap.

_'Dear Kise-kun,_

_All registrations are now final and unchangeable, so now I will answer your question. I am going to attend Seirin High School, and play their basketball._

_Sumimasen,_

_Kuroko'_

Kise hadn't known what to think- what to say; what do you say to something like that? As Kuroko had said, all the registrations were finalized now and nothing could be done, meaning that the phantom player had done this on purpose. He was severing the ties that bound him to the Generation of Miracles and their basketball.

Though those ties didn't stay severed. The Generation of Miracles suffered victories and losses at the hands of the Taiga that Kuroko had found, a new Light that only got brighter, and at the end of high school basketball and the next season were too small to worry about anymore.

They had careers to earn, jobs to get, homes to pay for and enjoy and keep up; the boys kept in contact -even Kuroko- but things started to overshadow their ancient bond of 'teammates'.

Love: right out of high school Atsushi Murasakibara got down on both knees -one knee still gave him a bit too much height when compared to his senpai- and professed his love and allegiance to Tatsuya Himuro in front of everyone present. And, better yet, Himuro had accepted the man with the ridiculous candy wrapper ring -the real band came later, after months of training in a culinary school landed the giant a job as pastry chef in a ritzy restaurant.

Laughter: After high school, Shintarou Midorima moved on to medical school and he lost touch with his basketball partner Kazunari Takao entirely, too focused on his studies to answer more than Kise's occasional 'hey, midorimacchi'. He excelled, his grades and precision sending him higher and higher on the 'suitable' list for graduation, and he soon found that scholarships he hadn't planned on were coming his way; he would graduate with honours and job offers had already been made. He was certain of everything in his future, at least, until Takao came rushing into his first period lecture with his new textbooks piled in his arms. Takao, as he'd learned later via a harsh interrogation of his ex-teammate, had studied harder than ever and saved every free penny over the last year, saving his college fund more and more until Midorima's school was an option. He claimed, rather breathlessly once the tale was over, that he could not stand another day without his Shin-chan. He wanted to be with him; forever. And Midorima had laughed -laughed harder than he thought possible- until he had worked out what to say. He claimed that, while Takao had been a hopeless fool in high school that this new level of insane was too much. And then Midorima had welcomed Takao back with a smirk, because Takao would **still **be pedalling the rickshaw.

And life: Satsuki Momoi soon found a relationship outside of her childhood friend, earning herself a house, a husband, and what would soon be a bouncing baby girl. Or she would have, until she caught her husband in bed with his assistant after she had been out on a day trip with the policeman-in-training, Aomine Daiki. He had been just pulling away when he saw her exit, stumbling with a suitcase in one hand, and it was not difficult to determine that she and her husband were not going to work. He provided her with a place to call home, a loving place his parents had given him to stay for the duration of his training with the force, and a safe place to rest her heart. She had given birth to a healthy baby -weight and size were normal, blood tests came back perfect- and she had asked Aomine to name it: her daughter's name became Mitsu. And Mitsu, as it seemed, was growing more and more attached to her Daiki-chan as the days went by.

And, as of not long ago, Kuroko Tetsuya was to become Kagami Tetsuya in the fall.

Everyone approved of the pair's commitment, even Akashi -he had maintained his level of control, even after high school- and the old Seirin duo were very happy.

Kise was happy for them; they deserved their happiness. He had his planes to fly -people needed to travel, after all- and he had his fans -which were still growing in number despite his growing age-, which were enough for the blond man to live with comfortably. He had want for nothing, as his careers paid exceptionally well, and his home was lavish- bordering on extravagant. He was still kind, reaching out to charities he knew and didn't know, and he was always showering his ex-teammates in gifts and praise. That was Kise- happy, healthy, generous Kise.

Which is why, when things turned sour, Kuroko turned to him first.


	2. The First Night Back

**Chapter Two**

**~The First Night Back~**

When Kise pushed open his front door, he could feel the tension melt off his shoulders and out of his tired, achy muscles. He had been flying forever, going from city to city and all over the better part of Asia, and now the modelling pilot just wanted to settle down in his tub for a nice hot bath. His uniform hat came off as soon as the door clicked closed behind him, his hands dropping their bags and flying instantly to his formal tie. It loosened without a fight and Kise sighed with relief, padding further down the hall –he toed off his shoes languidly as he went- until he reached his bedroom.

"_Taidama_," Kise murmured as he passed his fish tank, his fingers brushing the spotless glass, and Kise turned on the light for his adjoined bathroom as he went in. Marble and brushed steel shone, voicelessly welcoming their master home as he plugged the tub and slowly eased the taps around. Steam filled the room slowly, enveloping Kise in a gentle blanket of warmth and the scent of his bath salts. It was relaxing to say the least, so when Kise's home phone rang and disrupted the moment, the model was a little cross. His amber eyes flew open –not that he remembered closing them- and flew to the call display screen mounted upon the wall; there was no name.

Telemarketer.

Kise tousled his own blond hair exasperatedly, frowning ever so slightly as the ringing died off, and went back to his bedroom in search of something to sleep in. Suddenly the ringing began again and Kise groaned aloud as he looked up and saw the same number; it was a **persistent** telemarketer. Now Kise was more than a little upset. Was it so hard for him to have a few minutes of peace after such a long tour of flight? He'd almost over-flown his thirty hours per week and he couldn't even catch a break before he got harassed at home? He had just gotten home for God's sake!

With a sudden burst of uncharacteristic spitefulness, the blond picked up the phone and hung up before the caller could speak, and then he dialed the number of an old friend.

"…_moshi moshi_?" Grunted the receiver, their voice gruff and low.

"Yukio!" Kise cheered, returning to his search for pyjamas. "How are you? Doing well? Keeping busy?" He had been out of touch with everyone for too long. "What are you doing these days?" Pausing, Kise listened to his old basketball captain's breathing with simple delight; he had missed the shorter man more than he'd realized.

"Kise?" Yukio groaned uncertainly over the rustling of bed sheets on his end. Kise faintly wondered whether Yukio had found himself a girl, but chose not to ask. "Kise, **Ryota**?"

"_Hai_," Kise's smile grew quickly, "from Kaijou, remember? How are you?"

"I'm… fine." Yukio yawned in Kise's ear. "Was sleepin', though… s'late."

Kise looked at the clock and winced: "_Suminasen_, I just got back." Kise fished out a cozy pair of pants with minute delight and returned to the bathroom. "Still in the teaching business? Geography and science, right?" Kise pinned his house phone between his chin and his shoulder, unfastening his pants quietly and slipping out of them; he smirked at Yukio's cluelessness.

"Math." Yukio corrected, "I teach geography and **math**. Still modelling, I see. How does that work with piloting airplanes?"

"Ah~!" Kise grinned, shedding his shirt and shimmying out of his last bits of clothing until he stood indecently naked in his bathroom with his friend on the phone. "It's great! I just take more shots per-"

Suddenly Kise heard his cell phone go off. "-shoot?"

"What?" Yukio was awake enough to tell that Kise was distracted by something. "Should I let you go?"

"N-No," Kise stammered, getting into the tub with a breathy sigh as his skin hit the water. It worked away the knots in is back, easing away his hours in the pilot's chair, and Kise felt a little more comfortable even with his phone ringing. "It's just a telemarketer that doesn't know when to quit."

Yukio perked up and Kise could almost see his scowl as his ex-captain criticized his passivity to the situation. If it **was** a stalker, answering would only encourage them, but Kise was getting a little disturbed. Why did they keep calling?

"Answer it!" Yukio demanded, making Kise sigh and blow ripples across his bath water; Kise's thin fingers carded through his hair, spreading water through it. "Give 'em hell and tell 'em you'll call the police! You have that cop buddy, right?" Kise nodded as Aomine drifted out of the back of his mind. How long had it been since Kise had worshipped that man's skills now? Four- **five** years?

Kise grunted noncommittally, glancing at the now-silent phone with uncertainty. "If they call again, I'll answer. They've stopped now, and I doubt they'll call back **again**. That'd be the fifth time tonight," Kise lifted a long pale leg out of his bath water, admiring his muscle tone despite his age and occupation; in short, he looked damn good for his age. Even with his careers, Kise had still tried to maintain his fitness, failing and failing again until Kuroko's thoughtful gift of a membership to the Aida family sports gym had arrived one day in his mail.

Thoughts of the insubstantial man made Kise's body warm with childish romance and Kise could see the red taking over his cheeks reflecting in the water. Kise chuckled to himself quietly as Yukio went on and on about personal safety and the right to be secure in your own home.

"Don't laugh!" Yukio snapped sharply, "No one should be afraid in their own home! It's not right!"

"Ma," Kise murmured, "I'm not laughing at you, Yukio-kun. I was just thinking about Kurokocchi!"

"Kuroko, Tetsuya?" Yukio murmured, snickering, "Isn't he with that idiot partner of his? And getting married in the fall? And aren't **you** in the bath? Shame,"

"I can dream, can't-" Kise froze when his cell phone went off. Kise went so quiet that Yukio could've heard a pin drop a mile away. "Oh no."

"Is that your phone?" Yukio growled on the line.

"No?" Kise lied pathetically, wincing,

"Is it this 'telemarketer' from the other times?" Asked Yukio dangerously,

Kise looked –it was- and groaned. "Maybe,"

Yukio sighed: "Answer it, Ryota,"

Kise shivered, mumbled under his breath and slowly reached across the bath tub rim for his ringing mobile phone. His pale hand hesitated, shaking and dripping above the device, and he felt his throat close a little.

"Yukio-kun?" Kise whined, "Are you sure I should-"

"Go on," Kise relaxed as his friend encouraged him.

He picked it up.

"Please do not call here any-" "K-Kise-kun!" The blond pilot gasped, nearly dropping his house phone as Kuroko's voice spilled out of his cell phone. "Kise-kun, is that you?"

"Kurokocchi~!" Kise was so happy that he nearly squealed. His sweet Kurokocchi had called him now that he was back to tell him what he had missed. "You're so sweet, calling me like thi-"

"Kise-kun, please," Kuroko's voice was fragile, trembling over the phone despite the lack of obvious emotion, but it got Kise's attention automatically. It was quiet, hardly a whisper over the telephone line, and hoarse from the strain of crying or screaming; Kise had not known that his old teammate could do either. More than anything, Kise could hear the raw, vulnerable sound of need in Kuroko's usually-cool voice and it scared him too much for words.

"Kise?" Yukio called, snapping Kise back to reality. "Kise, what's wrong?"

"It's Kurokocchi," Kise managed softly, "I've gotta go." And then the blond hung up his home phone without waiting for Yukio to respond and turned his full attention to Kuroko on the cell phone. "Kurokocchi? Are you still there? What's happened? Why aren't you calling from home?"

"I-" Kuroko's voice faltered, breaking, "I can't go home right now. You were the only one I could call, Kise-kun, I just…" Kise shivered and a strangled groan made it through the phone line and to his ear. Was Kuroko crying? Was he hurt?

"Did Kagamicchi hurt you?" Kise demanded, sitting up so harshly that his bath water splashed everywhere. "Are you alright?"

"No…" Kuroko's ambiguous reply was enough to make Kise get out of the tub and struggle into his cotton pants. "We just- it was- I was- oh, Kise, it's so messed up." Kise fumbled with the waist band, nearly dropping his phone, and he grunted as he struggled. "I don't know what to do,"

"Where are you?" Kise asked, finally managing to tuck his junk below the waistband and get the pants up over his hipbones. "I'm coming to get you, Kurokocchi, and then we'll figure this thing out."

"We can't… **I **can't." Kuroko stated softly, snuffling, "It's not something that can be 'figured out'. I can't just-" Kuroko suddenly yelped and there was a great clatter on his end, which shocked Kise into sprinting out to his car. He arrived there breathless, shoeless, and with only a simple zip-up hoodie over his naked torso; he looked like a mess in his car mirrors.

"Where are you, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked again, revving his engine anxiously, "I'm coming to get you."

"Don't," Kuroko begged –actually begged- and Kise hissed,

"I'm not leaving you alone like this. You're my best friend- you have been since middle school. Now, where are you?"

Kuroko hesitated, panting lightly into the mouthpiece of his phone. "Near '_Okonomiyaki_', where we ate after Inter-High," Kise breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out of the driveway, already zooming toward the destination without regard for the speed.

"Alright, then I'm on my way, Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed, "Stay right-"

Suddenly Kagami's voice echoed into the phone and Kise's blood froze when Kuroko cried out wordlessly, the frightened sound haunting him even as the line went dead.


	3. Under One Roof

Chapter Three

~Under One Roof~

Kise was hardly fit to be driving at night –after so many hours and time changes, his body just wanted to sleep- but his heart and soul were threatening to tear themselves out of his corpse and run to Kuroko. Kuroko was in trouble somewhere dark and dangerous and Kagami was hurting Kise by hurting the pale blue-haired man; Kise's ears rang with the wordless cry that Kuroko had left him with.

'_Kurokocchi,_' Kise thought anxiously, '_please be safe. Don't let him hurt you… I'm coming._' He swerved into a parking space, too restless and distracted to continue driving, and he got out of his car to walk the rest of the way. He barely locked the expensive vehicle before he walked away heedless to the safety of the car, and he paid little attention to the people he was passing on the street that seemed to recognise him. He didn't care about anyone but the young man who had captured his big heart and he wanted to have Kuroko in his arms or at least his reach before he could relax again.

"Kurokocchi…" He murmured, taking off into a run that bordered on a desperate sprint, his eyes sweeping the city night crowds for a trace of the blue mop he was looking for. He saw the shop come into view and winced when he didn't see his friend: "Kurokocchi?" Kise called, standing before the doorway and cupping his hands around his mouth. "Kuroko?!"

"Are you Kise Ryouta?" Asked a group of young women excitedly, approaching him in a crowd and blocking him off. "From _Zunon Boy_~?" They were all giggling and fluttering about and pawing him as most fans did, their eyes drinking him in hungrily and catching on the pale flash of chest inside his hoodie.

"Yes," Kise smiled momentarily, breaking his anxious expression with a picture-perfect smile. "I am, but I'm in a-"

"I'm a big fan!" Claimed one, holding out the newest issue open to one of his in-uniform shots. "I've read all the magazines, even the school ones!"

"I have too!" Exclaimed the third, grinning widely up at him. "You were so cool! Is it true that you and your high school captain are-"

Kise stopped **that** conversation immediately. "Listen, it's great to meet you all, but I **really** need to find a payphone." He said earnestly, patting the hands that were clinging to his hastily put-on clothes, "It's serious."

"'Serious'?" Repeated the girls, puzzled,

"As a heart attack." He didn't mean to dazzle them, but he knew that his face had mesmerized them by the looks in their wide adoring eyes. "Can you help me? A payphone?"

"There's one a block over," The first girl told him shyly, "but it's a bit shady. No one uses it **unless** it's serious." She pointed out an alley that would lead him over and Kise was so grateful that he hugged her. "Ah~!"

"Thank you," Kise said tearfully, "I'll never forget this." And then he took off in a sprint down the side street she had shown him. His feet pounded on the pavement, even over their squealing and gossiping, and he found that his tender heart was thrashing in his ears, crying for Kuroko to reveal himself and come into his arms. He breathed harshly as he skidded onto another road, spotting the booth for the public phone a few shops over, and stumbled up to it nervously.

Inside, there was no one; the receiver hung from the cord, still swinging from use, and small smears of fresh blood littered the booth in a way that made Kise's heart stop. The little smudges were fingerprints, some even handprints, and he could see a few drops upon the floor nearest the far wall that meant someone hurt had been here so recently.

"No," Kise gasped, moaning as he stumbled back from the booth, clutching his heart. "No, not Kurokocchi. Anyone but Kurokocchi…" He looked around as tears blotted out his vision, knowing the blood would dry quickly, and he swallowed around a spiked ball of guilt when he considered that Kuroko had left while he had put up with those fan girls. "Kurokocchi!" He cried out for his friend, looking around desperately for the tiny boy and his faint presence. "Kuroko-"

"Sir," A voice interrupted, "is something wrong?" Kise spun in surprise, jumping away from the hand that touched his shoulder, and met the eyes of a pale-faced young police officer. The officer was obviously fresh on the streets –green around the horns- and Kise felt a little pity for him having to deal with this so soon after his training had ended.

"I'm…" Kise began, "No, I just- I was out a little late, and I'm heading back home." He lied disjointedly, shoving his hands in his pockets and gripping his keys harshly. "Walking, see? It's parked up on the main drag."

"Good to hear," Nodded the officer, "but be careful."

"Why?" Kise felt a little defensive as the officer scrutinized him and pulled out a paper from his jacket pocket. "What's going on?"

"This man" –Kise nearly shrieked when the policeman held up a faded picture of Kuroko on a hospital camera, circled with red pen.- "is on the loose and a threat to society. This man was present in a hospital earlier tonight, but he became volatile and threw a doctor across a room; he may be high on narcotics or a mental patient, and he's somewhere in this area. If you see him, call in and keep your distance; don't even speak to him."

Kise got away from the officer as soon as he could, waving and smiling falsely until he was out of sight, and then he made a mad dash for his car again. Kuroko wasn't around or –if he was- he wasn't responding to Kise at all; Kise pushed the thought away, dismissing the sinister possibilities it held.

'_I'll check the house once and then I'll sweep the neighbourhood again. Maybe I'll call the payphone and try to get Kuroko…_' Kise's mad plan consumed him and his mind as he drove back home, shaking against the steering wheel and once nearly driving through a red light into the path of a transport truck. He could hardly walk when he screeched to a halt in front of his door and fumbled with his keys.

"K-Kise-kun," Kuroko whispered hoarsely, peaking out of the shrubbery beside the front door and nearly giving Kise's weak heart an attack. He stumbled out of the bushes weakly, leaning against the wall of the house, and forced himself to swallow as he appeared in the light of the front door lamp. His hair was limp and dirty, hinting at harsh times recently, and the hospital scrubs failed to hide his bare, battered feet. Kise could see the wet trails upon Kuroko's composed, expressionless, face and that the paleness that sieged his plump cheeks was not the healthy pallor he had come to adore; Kuroko looked sick –fatally so- and Kise caught the young man in his arms with a cry of relief.

"Kurokocchi!" He yelped, squeezing his blue-haired friend close to his chest and burying his face in his sky-blue locks. "I was so worried! I'm sorry I didn't make it in time! Did Kagami hurt you?" Kise pulled back, bending, and cupped Kuroko's small face in his large hands, wiping the moisture away gently. "How did you get away?"

"I-" "No, wait!" Kise interrupted, whipping off his sweater and draping it around Kuroko anxiously, "Let's get you clean and warm first. You must be exhausted, and we shouldn't talk here." Kise bustled about, fretting over Kuroko constantly as he drew another bath with all sorts of soothing salts and soaps and scents, fluttering around the silent blue-haired man with clean clothes for afterwards and promises of warm food.

"Thank you, Kise-kun," Kuroko smiled faintly, an obviously forced expression that bit at Kise's conscience. "I'll be out in a minute."

"And then you'll tell me everything that happened?" Kise asked weakly, approaching cautiously with his forehead a wrinkled billboard for concern. He let the smaller man take the clean clothes from him and watched the blue-haired man hobble into the bathroom with a limp and the occasional half-masked wince. "Kuroko, then you'll tell me?"

Kuroko paused, licking his pink lips, but didn't reply.

And then he shut the bathroom door.


	4. Something You Should Know!

Hey, everybody!

Recently, I was in an accident and got hit by a van. I suffered a level 2 concussion from not wearing my helmet, got 8 staples in my head, got 5 stitches in my leg, and ripped the ligaments on either side of my right ankle entirely away. I'm on crutches and missed some important weeks of school so, while I am trying to write and get you all updates, I'm really also trying to focus on getting better and recovering my lost school performance.

I've got two months of biweekly laser therapy lined up to repair my ankle, and that's going to be so much fun. I love hearing everyone giving me suggestions about my writing and how I can improve it (shout-outs to: **Uninvited Guest(Guest), TheMysticWolf36(user) **and **Lovely Manga (Guest)** for their suggestions on _Bruder, Come Home!_ And _Le Lettre De Mon Amour_). I appreciate everyone else who's helped me along my writing journey, but these lucky two were the only handles I had on file right now.

Unfortunately, I had my laptop with me in the crash and, being on a bike and getting smashed with a van going 66 km/h, it suffered more than I did. The newest chapter of _Bruder Come Home_ was on there, to be posted that day, but as of now all my works and newest updates are out of reach. Hopefully ASUS will recover my files and replace my laptop, but I can't be sure. If they do, I can get my 'Helpful People' list and send another mass letter to all those great writers and writeresses who've been such great people.

Until I post again, and hopefully that's soon,

OnnaMurcielago666


	5. Baby Mine

**Chapter Four**

**~Baby Mine~**

**~Kuroko no Basuke is not mine!~**

Kise stood dumbly at the bathroom door, his eyes watering as they took in the wooden barrier and he replayed Kuroko's response in his mind. It was cold and Kise shivered at the pained way Kuroko moved about; he limped, wincing, and Kise could only speculate as to what Kagami had done to the smaller man.

Returning from his thoughts, Kise quickly backed away from the door and sniffled. It didn't matter; Kuroko was safe now, with him, and Kise wouldn't let anything happen to him ever again. Kise hurried downstairs, trying to distract himself from the other person in his home, and he fired up the kitchen in hopes that he could produce something warm and soothing for the two of them to share. Kuroko looked much too thin now, and he feared what it could mean as his hands deftly fluttered around his workspace. The shock and pleasure of seeing his old ex-teammate again was enormous, enough to shake off his jet-lag, and Kise felt well-rested again. He soon found that his cupboards were sadly bare, all perishable foods long gone, and that his fridge was sadly similar. He panicked briefly, searching in vain for something edible, but he gave up gradually as he realized how useless it was.

Instead, he carefully fetched his grandmother's teapot from its display and took the cups in a separate trip; it was a family heirloom, well-crafted and so very precious to him not that his elders were all but gone. He carefully filled it with the correct amount of tea leaves and began boiling water with an almost obsessive diligence. In his mind, Kise could still hear his grandmother admonishing him for making poor tea and smiled softly.

"Why are you smiling?" Kuroko asked quietly, appearing at his arm as silently as he always did. Kise jumped shortly, not having heard the boy leave the bathroom, and his relaxed smile disappeared. He tensed and laughed, scratching his head as a blush caught his cheeks:

"I was just thinking about my obaasan! She taught me to make tea in this teapot when I was a child and I just remembered her telling me not to boil the water too hot!" Kise could feel Kuroko's yes on him and he got goose bumps. "It scalds the leaves, you see!" Kise was suddenly aware of his bare chest and he quickly folded his arms across his chest to cover it even slightly. "…I'm out of good food, Kurokocchi, I'm sorry!"

"It's no problem." Kuroko murmured, his blue eyes following the wisps of steam as they spiralled upwards. "Tea is good." Kise felt his heart stutter at the tranquil –almost pleased- expression Kuroko wore as he watched the steam wander into the air. He wondered if he should interrupt Kuroko and, as he did, they locked eyes. Almost immediately, the pleasure in his face disappeared behind the usual blank expression and Kise felt directly responsible for it.

"Kurokocchi," He smiled, "go sit down and I'll bring the tea over. The kotatsu warms up quick and-" Kuroko's nod cut him off and Kise watched his slight blue-haired friend disappear into his living room wordlessly.

'_Kuroko_…' Kise sighed faintly, turning back to the tea, and was quick to assemble a plain tray of cups and what little dry snacks he could find. Balancing the tray on one long-fingered hand, he took hold of the pot handle and followed Kuroko solemnly. He could help but wonder if Kuroko would tell him anything at all, as he set down their drinks and sighed at the dazed way Kuroko observed his surroundings.

"Kurokocchi," Kise murmured softly, catching his ex-teammate's blue eye gently. Kuroko didn't respond, his blue eyes as blank as a fresh sheet of snow, and he glanced at the tea Kise had yet to pour. "what happened?"

Kise saw now that Kuroko was not as stoic as he had first believed; the question made his whole little body tense and Kise was surprised to see a glint of sadness pass through his eyes before he pulled himself together to speak. Kise quickly poured a cup of tea and slid it toward his companion, hoping to clear the miserable air he was giving with the gentle gesture.

"It's not hard…" Kuroko paused, licking his lips, and took the teacup tentatively. "to understand. Taiga-kun and I, we've been- well, tense. I got sick recently with a lung infection and we… grew a bit apart. When I had more trouble breathing, he took me into the local hospital for a chest scan and I… he suggested we go our separate ways." Sipping his tea, Kuroko let Kise absorb his story slowly and sighed at the warm liquid's strong flavour.

Kise was shocked; had sex been so integral to their relationship? Kuroko hadn't come right out and said it but, with the knowledge of what a lung infection entailed, Kise knew that Kuroko's little body couldn't be stressed with **that **while he was sick. He watched Kuroko incredulously, speak of the break-up and tell him that after a few days in the hospital Kagami had returned and asked Kuroko to return to him. The towering man had "not been thinking straight" and "under a lot of stress at work", which had been why he suggested ending their engagement so suddenly.

"Then when did you call me?" Kise asked weakly, his own tea cooling in his cup. "Did he hurt you?"

"…" Kuroko took another long sip and, while glancing around again, set off Kise's intuition. Something was wrong and Kuroko wasn't telling him the truth. "No, I was in the hospital and he didn't have a chance. He was very… stubborn. He wanted me to come back and still wanted the wedding but I refused. He got angry, and the day before I could discharge, we had a bad argument. I left the hospital that night against the docters' wishes and hoped to get somewhere to stay, but he caught me before I could."

"How bad was the argument?" Kise pressed and, in a blink, a shred of emotion crossed the plains of Kuroko's eyes and was gone out of sight. Kise shuddered faintly, passing it off as cold, at the sight of it; what had passed through Kuroko then was something vulnerable and dark, something Kise speculated Kuroko never wanted to see the light of day. He paused with another question on his lips, Kuroko's eyes on him as he waited for Kise to speak, and thought better of asking anything else.

"Kise-ku-" "Never mind," Kise smiled slightly at his companion and reached across the table to touch his pale wrist gently. "I don't need to know. Stay as long as you need to, Kurokocchi. I have plenty of room here, and working overtime recently got me a vacation." Kise felt his heart quiver as the blue-haired man nodded, thanking him for his kindness, and they finished the tea with a light conversation about anyone they could grudge up from their memory and muse about, the 'Generation of Miracles' included.

However, Kise quickly noticed that Kuroko was becoming less and less of an attentive conversation partner despite the tea, and offered to show him a bedroom. He left their tea and dishes on the kotatsu and led Kuroko to a bedroom, and stumbled into his own bedroom with his mind whirling. What had really happened between Kuroko and Kagami that night? He seriously doubted the story he'd been told was true and, curling up under his covers, Kise dreaded the dark shadow of truth he had seen in the blue depths of Kuroko's eyes.

**~Kuroko no Basuke is not mine!~**


	6. In One Bed

**Chapter Five -**

**~In One Bed~**

_Lights came and went above him, changing black to blinding white as they passed overhead. In the brief illumination between these extremes, Kuroko could hardly see anything except the floor or the sleeve of a labcoat; he was slumped forward in a wheelchair, his muscles like cooked spaghetti. He shifted minutely -Kuroko felt his child stir within him as he began to panic- and the hushed voices that had been murmuring in the background came into focus._

_"...sedative?"_

_"... dosage will... complications."_

_"It's... blood...occurred."_

The voices chilled Kuroko's blood, even as he lay curled up between the sheets of Kise's spare bed. He twitched once as his insides shifted, producing the phantom kick he'd felt moments before, and Kuroko bit his lip to stop it from quivering. He touhced his stomach, reaching out with his mind for the only conscience like his own, and found only scars in his body and the universe. The beautiful spark was missing, leaving a black patch in the dim glow of the surrounding humans' minds, and Kuroko probed farther -deeper- with a desolate silent cry.

His child -the only proof that he was not alone on this Earth- was gone.

Kuroko gasped once, willing his emotions inward, and clutched at his flat and childless body as a wave of tears blinded him.

_"Are you certain?" Kuroko wearily tried to lift himself away from the doctors, hoarsely disapproving as another wave of pain swelled and broke over him. It stripped him of his will and, when he fell back into his wheelchair, tore his body apart._

_"Something's wrong!" Kuroko moaned, _clutching at his stomach and straining for the glowing mind of the life tied to his_. It was dim, flickering, and it's panic fueled his own. "Taiga?!" _Kuroko smelt blood.

_"Sir," The voice haunted him, echoing off the metal instruments and flat surfaces. "Are we alright to proceed?"_

_"Yes."_

Kuroko sat up suddenly, an unspoken cry on his lips as he returned from his dazed half-dream slick with icy sweat. It was still so real, the memory barely hours old, and it was more painful than the sutures the surgeon had left behind. They ached now and, glancing down faintly, Kuroko realized that he had been clawing at them. The faint bit of blood he had smelt was his own doing and, disgusted, Kuroko struggled out of bed and into the bathroom.

He was pale -as white as the sheets-

_On the hospital bed, Kuroko struggled uselessly against the leather cuffes holding his arms and legs away from his agonized little body._

- he had cureld up under to hide his pains from the blond pilot who had taken him in. As he and his reflection held each other's gaze_, the wheelchair caught his eye as it rolled into the lgiht, seemingly of its own accord. It glistened wetly in the light, unexplained and enough to make his hazy mind spin; he had been sweating, but surely not that much. A surgeon bumped it carelessly as he went about his duties and the pools of fluid shifted, spilling over the edge of the seat._

_A crimson wave washed onto the grey tile of the floor, staining Kuroko's vision red, and-_

Kuroko gasped, shaking away the water he'd splashed onto his face, and leaned heavily on the countertop. The disjointed brushes with his own memories were flaking him apart like a pie shell and Kuroko felt as if he were shattering like glass. He fled the haunted blue depths of his eyes as they bored into him from the looking glass, mimmicking the ones his child might have borne.

'_Why?_' They cried, burning in the dark. '_Daddy, why?_'

He stumbled out of the guest rooms, nearly falling in the hallway, and struggled about in the dark. The walls seemed to crop up out of nowhere, blocking his escape from his true nightmares, and suddenly Kuroko's wall fell into a moonlight scene. Everything glowed a pale silver-white and shine as if the moon had been painted over it; it awed Kuroko that something so serene had been so close to his personal hell.

Carefully getting to his feet, Kuroko suddenly realized where he was; the moonlit haven he'd found was Kise's bedroom. He saw his friend lying there, glowing between the layers of silver, and he marvelled at the golden halo cupping his innocent face. Kise was young -so very, in terms of his soul, new- and shining brightly in a way that drew everyone to him. Closing his eyes, Kuroko could see the beautiful spark -human, but still- and watch it flicker and flare with his dream. It was a sweetly bitter reminder of the difference between them and, in a moment of weakness, Kuroko reached out with his mind. He longed for the touch of another mind -to feel something other than himselfand was too close to brushing Kise's when he collected his wits. He couldn't do that to him -the mind was final sanctuary of all things- while he slept unguarded. Kuroko whined in the back of his throat as he pulled away, feeling hollow and alone as he staggered away from the bed and clutched at his heart.

He had to go; he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Kuroko whimpered as he left the moonlight, his unadjusted eyes blind in the black shadows of the hallway, and fumbled his way back down to the main floor. It was hazardous and Kuroko nearly fell down the last five steps when the house creaked casually, but he made it without any more serious damage and found himself in the kitchen. The light pouring in from the window made the steel sink shine, bright and grabbing in its plainness, but Kuroko would not waste any more time thinking about glowing and shining things.

"I need to leave," Kuroko whispered, carding both hands through his blue hair helplessly as he passed through the kitchen and into the room they had been sitting in a few hours earlier. It was late -or rather, **very** early- and Kuroko could feel the warth of the sun as it grew closer and closer to sunrise, vibrating beneath his skin like the beat of a drum. He approached the front door, feeling a little dizzy as his blood-deprived body made the journey down the narrow hallway, and leaned on the frame as he bent for shoes he didn't have. Kuroko paused, standing there bent to pick up shoes he hadn't put there, and he stared at Kise's, lost.

"Where are you going?" Kise asked quietly, and Kuroko jumped at the sudden appearance of his host. He spun, his legs still trained from days of racing up and down courts undetected, and saw Kise standing at the mouth of the hall. He looked thin and pale, a sheet pulled around his frame to hide the shirtless torso Kuroko saw on billboards everywhere; his eyes spoke of confusion, a little hurt, and fear. He was worried that Kuroko was going to leave, and where he would go.

"I don't know." Kurko admitted, straightening and smoothing his borrowed shirt. He wondered if he should have changed -traded Kise's clothes for the dirty scrubs- before he decided to leave.

"Where will you sleep?" Kise asked, approaching Kuroko, who kept his back firmly against the door as his escape. Kuroko didn't like the worry; he didn't like to be worried about, or pitied, or stared at. He was a shadow, lacking presence or form, that you saw only fleetingly out of the corner of your eye. "You can't go back to him... you told me."

"I'll manage." Kuroko assured him, but now Kise was close -too close- and Kuroko turned his back on him, anxiously pressing closer to the door. His sweaty hand found the knob and it shook under his quaking hand. Fortunately, Kise reached out and still it with his own. He was right behind Kuroko now, the heat radiating off his chest, and Kuroko felt the sheet graze his heel from behind as Kise pulled him into a hug. "Kise-kun..."

"You need to rest..." Kise said quietly, his soft soothing voice right beside Kuroko's ear, and Kurkoko stiffened. "please, Kurokocchi, go back to bed. I'll lie with you and make sure no one comes, but please don't leave." Reluctantly, Kuroko released the handle and leaned back aainst Kise, drawing a gasp from the blond, and he nodded mutely. He let Kise pull him into the circle of his arms, draping the sheet over him as well, and followed the blond as he deftly navigated his way back to his bedroom in the stifling darkness. There, he slipped onto the cool mattress and curled up around himself, feeling hollow and complaecent as Kise slipped in beside him. "Kurokocchi?"

"Kise, I lied." Kuroko said suddenly, unable to look at the blond now that they were back in this haven of moonlight and satin sheets. "I was never sick."

"I know." Kise nodded, touching Kuroko's shoulder, and Kuroko stiffened at the touch. What? "You weren't making any sense... what happened, Kurokocchi? Really. I'm sure we can figure this out and-"

"I'm not human." Kuroko spat, pulling away from Kise's hand. "That's not something you can just fix. It won't go away if I work hard enough, or if you're nice enough." He looked over his shoulder, accusing Kise of lies with his bright blue eyes. "I'm not like you, Kise. I can see souls, conceal my presence, and bear children." Sitting up, Kuroko knelt beside Kise and pulled up the borrowed shirt, showing the scar to his companion for the first time.

When the final words faded from the tense air between them, Kise sat up and scooted back, eyes dnacing between the garishly-fresh scar and Kuroko's face. The retreat was subtle but, Kuroko noticed; tears raised in his eyes, hidden quickly on reflex, and Kuroko nearly made it out of bed again before Kise pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I'm... Kurokocchi, I'm sorry!" Kise whimpered, "That was insensitive! I just... it's..." With a sigh, Kise began to pet his hair and Kuroko struggled faintly. "It'l all work out, I promise. We'll fix this somehow... I'll do whatever it takes."

"My child is gone, Kise-kun, I failed! I couldn't..." Kuroko's emotion choked out his voice and he swallowed thickly. He had failed to bear his child to full term, barely lasting the first few months, and his sweet delicate little girl was gone. He had felt her, loving him and Kagami, and now that love had been extinguished like a fragile flame. He receovered: "Saying you can fix it is a lie! She is dead, dissected somewhere, and Kagami abandoned us both! My daughter is gone..." Kuroko's heart burned, the sadness nearly overwhelming as he said te words aloud. She **was** gone, and Kagami **had** abandoned them... he had nothing left.

Defeated, Kurko clsoed his eyes against more tears and let himself slip into unconsciousness.


End file.
